A Cup of Tea with a Dash of Misanthropy
by giguise
Summary: The story of how Alistar became a misanthropic, brooding vampire from when he was young.
1. Run Away

"ALISTAIR!" I tried to block his voice out "ALISTAIR!" but the booming words penetrated my pillow and found my ears. "ALISTAIR!" I groaned and climbed out of bed, I knew it was no use ignoring it as if I did he would simply come upstairs. As I came out onto the landing I could already see him at the bottom of the stairs, arms folded and eyebrows drawn in tight.

"Alistair," he said ominously "Is it true what I've been hearing from school?" he continued when I said nothing. "That you've been playing a truant again and haven't handed a single piece of homework in?" I looked at my feet and nodded, to scared to make eye contact with him. "Look at me boy!" he yelled. I looked up, his face was livid with anger so much so that I could almost feel it oozing out of his skin into to hallway. "Get down here now and go stand outside" he barely whispered.

I went down the stairs and out the back door. I could hear him follow me out the door. I heard him close the door. Then I heard him snap a branch off a tree. I was going to get it good tonight.

I woke up the next morning to sunlight streaming through my window. I could feel my body throbbing with pain. I crawled out of bed to get ready for school. I could barely move but I knew I'd be in for it if I didn't go into school today, but I also knew I couldn't face it. Not with Mr Hill making us do circuits and giving us the cane if we stopped and Mr Smith teaching us arithmetic. I would be sent out for my "Appalling long division and attitude to arithmetic" again which my father would then find out about. Lunch time wouldn't be any better either, not with Henry Mason patrolling the playground. I would have my sandwiches stolen again after he'd given me a black eye, again. No, there was no way I was going back to school. I sat on the edge of my bed wondering what to do. I remembered hearing about the sea at school and how some young boys go to be cabin boys on ships. As soon as the thought entered my head I knew what I was going to do. I got changed into my uniform as they were the best clothes I had, but I packed my other clothes into my school satchel. I also put my pen knife and wooden carving of an angle my mother had made me before she died into the satchel. I took one last look around my room, at my bed and my cupboard, before creeping down the stairs. I breathed a sigh of relief when I closed the door softly behind me, my father still snoring in his bed.

The morning was crisp and my uniform did little to keep me warm. I walked through the back streets out of town towards the road to the sea. As I came out of the town I found myself surrounded by fields and trees, the greenness appeared to stretch on forever. As I walked along I saw a gypsy camp in a nearby field. Two boys my own age were playing with a catapult, firing them at dented tin cans on a log. They were laughing as they both missed and hit someone's clean washing that was hanging out between two nearby trees. I began to ponder about what it would be like to live with them; to be able to have someone to talk to and have fun with.

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted as a carriage tore past flinging me into the hedgerow. As I lay in the hedge I could hear people, I couldn't quite make out what they were saying but they sounded worried. It was only as a face appeared in front of me that I realised they were probably talking about me. I saw the person's lips move but no sound appeared to be coming out. A hand moved across my face, once, twice, three times. I blinked. The face immediately looked relieved. The person's lips moved again and then I felt hands prise me out of the hedge and carry me.

I watched as the persons face changed to three faces; then there were no faces, just the sky as I was carried somewhere. After awhile I could smell fish cooking and I noticed the smell was getting stronger. Eventually the sky disappeared and a canvas ceiling replaced it. The people placed me down on a bed and promptly disappeared.

I tried to look around but every time I tried to move or sit up I felt a sharp pain rip through me. I decided to make do with what I could see or feel from where I was. I could feel the mattress under me was scratchy, made of straw I presumed. The ceiling above me was steep white canvas with a gas lantern hanging from the centre. From my peripheral vision I could see the entrance was about five metres away, outside was a maze of tents and brightly coloured caravans. Inside I could see an open trunk; it was full of clothes which poured out onto the floor. There was a huge variety of clothes from threadbare linen long johns to purple velvet jackets with brass buttons. I wondered who would need or want such a variety of garments.

Outside I could see some people coming towards the entrance. They stopped just outside and began talking to each other. I could see that there were two gentlemen and a lady. The lady was wearing a long maroon dress with a white pinafore; her long brown hair was tied back in a bun and covered by a blue scarf. One of the gentlemen wore a long scarlet jacket, white tights, black polished shoes with a brass buckle and a top hat. He was very tall and had a small goatee. The other gentleman looked much younger and was dressed in a small waistcoat, shirt and very ragged trousers. I noticed that he was also barefooted. His face was covered in soot with tangled blond hair all over the place.

He must have said something wrong as the gentleman in the long jacket reached out and struck him round the head. The gentleman in the long jacket then strode away leaving the younger man on the floor. The lady just shook her head and came into the tent.

She walked over to me and stroked my hair off my face. She then began to talk but all I could hear was a dull mumble. I supposed this was an improvement from earlier when I couldn't hear at all but it still wasn't much use. My head began to throb from trying to decipher what she was saying so I gave up and closed my eyes. I heard another mumbling, which I assumed was her saying something else, followed by the sound of something being dragged across the ground. I opened my eyes again and saw that she had got a chair from somewhere and was now busying herself fixing a hole in a shirt. I took this as permission to go to sleep and so closed my eyes and dreamt of the seaside.


	2. Gypsy Camp

I awoke to the sound of people muttering somewhere close by and the smell of fresh bread. I deliberated for awhile on whether or not to open my eyes and let whoever it was that was talking know I was awake. But I knew they would stop talking if they thought I was awake so I decided to pretend to still be sleeping; I wanted to know what it was they were talking about. "Well did you really think it was a good idea to take him into camp? I mean he could be a liability to us all!"

"Don't be such a worrier, he's just a boy."

"Yes but has it not occurred to you that this boy might have some high up family somewhere? A high up family who would think nothing of burning this whole place down on the assumption we kidnapped him?"

"Oh come off your high horse Rufus. Can you not tell by his clothing he is from a background of little importance?"

"Humph. Well then. What do you intend to do with him?"

"I thought he might make a very nice addition to our engine crew. They're always saying they could use someone small. You know, to get inside if something goes wrong. Or he could go along with the potten's children. I'm sure they wouldn't notice one more or even Marianne I'm sure she'd love to have an extra pair of hands and eyes to help her out."

"Alright. But you'll have to check that one of them is willing to have him. I know I wouldn't want a scruffy little runaway working or living with me. No doubt he'd steal everything he could fit in his pockets the second my backs turned and be off again like a shot!"

"Well then." There was a short pause then "And you had better watch your tongue young man! Having the cheek to tell me to go boss someone around! I hope you enjoy looking after him since that will be your job until someone else takes him under their wing."

"That's alright with me." I then heard another humph followed by the sound of footsteps leaving the tent. Someone was shuffling around nearby, presumably waiting for me to wake up, thus I decided it was a good time to open my eyes. "Good morning sleepy head." I realised it was the blond man from yesterday. He came over to my bedside and ruffled my hair. "Can you hear me? Or should I just shut up 'cause I'm talking to a deaf child?"

"No, I can hear you."

"Well there's a start." He smiled at me which made me feel better. At least someone was going to be on my side. "So, are you hungry? Thirsty?" He was already reaching for a beaker so I nodded and he handed me a beaker of water. I drank it quickly surprising myself at how thirsty I was. "Hungry?" he asked. I nodded again and was handed a bread roll. Once again I wolfed it down licking the crumbs of my fingers. I looked up and he was looking at me with a huge grin on his face. "Wow. Someone was hungry!" I scowled at him but I couldn't keep it up and we both burst out laughing. "Do you have a name then?"

"Alistair. Alistair Smith."

"Jimmy Pearn." He gave me his hand which I took. As we shook hands he winked at me. "Might be able to have some fun with you Alistair mightn't we? Get up to a bit of mischief you know. But watch out for the tall dark haired guy in the long jacket, Rufus White. He'll have you hung drawn and quartered before you can blink if you cross him."

"Who's he?"

"He's the boss. He owns all these tents and most of the caravans. Only the Potten's and the Kirmby's won't let him near theirs. Hats off to them I say." Jimmy was staring into space with a determined scowl. We sat in silence for awhile as I was too scared to say anything. Eventually Jimmy turned round, "Come on then. We'd better get out of this tent so Marianne can clean up."

"Who's Marianne?"

"The person who lives in this tent, she sat with you awhile last night. Someone had to check you were still breathing. You got a nasty knock from that carriage."

"I know" I said as I rubbed the back of my head.

"Anyway, like I was saying we need to move. Marianne wants to give Lola a nap." Seeing my questioning look he continued "Who is Marianne's two year old daughter. Maybe if you're good she'll let you sleep in here again tonight. I think she liked the company last night. Her husband died of consumption a few months back. She gets quite lonely. Anyway come on! I'll show you round and then maybe we can do some work or I can dump you with one of the families so I can do some work."

As I got up I felt a little giddy but it soon went away. Outside the tent the ground was still frozen and our footsteps made the ground crunch beneath our feet. As we walked along I could see my breath and I pretended to be a train puffing into the sky. That was until I felt a pair of eyes staring at me looking round I saw it was another young man with jet black hair and sapphire blue eyes, feeling self conscious I stopped. Looking back at Jimmy he smiled and shook he head at me.

He showed me round several tents with no one in them, simply stating the name of the people who lived in them and what his personal views about them were. I was beginning to wonder where all the people were after we came out of the seventh empty tent. It was only when we got to the caravans that I heard voices. As we entered a ring of caravans I could see some women surrounding a large cooking pot in the centre of the ring and children playing nearer the caravans. Washing lines were strung up between the caravans and held an array of clothing. Through one gap in the caravans I could see some washing held up between two trees and below it a row of dented tin cans on a log. My heart jumped as I realised it was the same place I had seen from the road when the boys were firing rocks at the cans. I was in the gypsy camp!


End file.
